California warden kills mountain lion stalking hiker in Placer County

A snow-covered popular Placer County hiking trail was reopened Tuesday after a state Fish and Wildlife warden was forced to shoot and kill a mountain lion Sunday, authorities say.

Authorities were first alerted to an aggressive mountain lion Saturday evening when a hiker on the Stevens Trail near Colfax, fearing for his safety, called 911.

"He noticed he was being followed by a mountain lion," said Mark Michilizzi, a spokesman for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. "The behavior was consistent with a mountain lion that is stalking prey."

Fish and Wildlife wardens, Placer County sheriff's deputies and a California Highway Patrol helicopter responded to the call and apparently scared off the mountain lion, Michilizzi said.

Sunday morning, a warden returned to the area to post signs and warn hikers of the threat of an aggressive mountain lion when he noticed a cougar, apparently the same one, preparing to pounce on him, Michilizzi said.

While it is illegal to hunt mountain lions in California, at that point the animal wasn't just a risk to public safety, officials said. It was a risk to the warden, who shot and killed the cat.